Monthly Archives: January 2017

Last night I had my first book signing at The City Beer Hall in Albany. That was productive and fun. My friend Rich created a drink menu of Albany and Hudson River themed cocktails, I had a slideshow, and I sold 14 books to friends, some of whom I haven’t seen in years. But there was an ice storm, and at the end of the event, I had to pack up my boxes and computer and try to find a parking space in Center Square, which was, of course, impossible. So I parked a fifteen minute walk away, on Dana Ave, and left my book boxes, computer, trackpad and keyboard in my car. I didn’t want to walk home carrying my MacBook, slip, and break the thing.

So this morning I had to walk fifteen minutes back to the parking spot, in order to move my car because there is no parking on the north side of Dana on Wednesday mornings. The first, very significant fortuitous event of the day was that I had no ticket on my car, and no broken window, and no stolen computer with all of my book files. That was a relief.

But then, driving down Willet Street, I ran over a piece of ice and heard a grinding sound. I pulled over, and saw that the bracket which held the exhaust manifold had snapped, so the manifold was scrapping on the ground. I tried tying it up with ropes with no success. Had it been dragging at the back, I’d have just dragged it two blocks to Mobil to get it fixed. But since the front was dragging, I was afraid I’d hit a pothole or manhole and the manifold would pitch-pole into my gas tank and explode my car.

So I walked to Mobil and they will tow my car for $100 plus tax, and then fix the manifold, for something like $400.

I think about life as an ebb and flow, like the tides on the Hudson. Last night I made about $120 in profit and got to see a lot of old friends and have a nice social night. Then the tide started ebbing as I had to park in the sleet and walk home. It continued to recede as I walked to the car, worrying I’d had my computer stolen. It then flooded when my window and computer were all in tact, only to ebb again when my car busted.

Monetarily I suppose I had more ebb then flow, since I’m net negative $380. But if I add in the avoidance of having-to-replace-my-computer-if-it-was-stolen, as well as my window and the process of filing what would have been a futile police report, I’m much better off than I might have been. I might have avoided the car repair but a new computer would have cost $1700 plus a lot more inconvenience.

I got my computer out of my car and brought it over to El Loco, where I had a cup of coffee and a Dos Equis Amber at 10:53 a.m., (I know people who work there). so things are improving again.